


Coal

by GabesBeanie



Series: Merry Christmas, Darlin' [16]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: 25 Days of Christmas, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coal - Freeform, Gen, Huckleberry (OC) - Freeform, Young Jesse McCree, family arguments, puppy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-17 09:19:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13073865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabesBeanie/pseuds/GabesBeanie
Summary: 16/25 Days of Christmas || CoalKids who act out get coal.





	Coal

“You can’t keep doing this, Jesse!” Jack’s voice rang out in the kitchen. Jesse sat, slouched deeply at the dining room table, arms cross defensively.

He flinched away from his dad, ignoring the twinge in his jaw as he did.

“How many fights does that make this week, hm?” Jack continued, waving his hand when Jesse opened his mouth to respond. “Rhetorical.”

Jesse huffed, frown deepening as he stared at the ground. His Papí was sitting adjacent to him at the table, silent through the exchange.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Jesse ground out. “I’m not the one startin’ ‘em.”

“But you’ll sure as hell finish one,” Gabriel growled.

Jesse shuddered, clenching his eyes shut. He had see his parents’ anger before, but rarely was he on the other side of it.

In front of him, Jack took a deep breath, running a hand over his greying hair. “I’m sorry I raised my voice,” he started. “But Jesse, we know you’re better than this. You’re not some punk kid making stupid choices anymore. You’re an adult and you need to start acting like one.”

Jesse clenched his teeth, jaw aching where that would-be mugger had gotten a good swing in.

“Guess I can’t do nothin’ right,” Jesse muttered. He stood quickly, running past his dad and out the door, ignoring the sound of his dads calling after him.

He ran.

He knew he couldn’t go to his usual haunts so he took random roads and turns, no set destination in mind. He just needed to get out. He needed to breathe.

Jesse wound up in an empty park, claiming a low swing and kicking at the gravel beneath his shoes. It wasn’t his fault trouble seemed to follow him…

Years ago when he had just started high school, he’d majorly fucked up and joined a local gang. It hadn’t been intentional at first, but he was young and dumb and craved any form of family that would accept him, especially in those moments when it was hard to talk to his parents.

They weren’t crazy, luckily, but they did cause a fair amount of mayhem. Jesse had been unlucky enough to get caught on one of their runs, tossed into a jail cell for a few hours while the cops called his parents.

He’d never felt fear quite like that before or since.

That was the last time he’d seen his parents as angry as they were when he left.

Jesse sighed.

They were right. That was the worst part.

He was a young adult still living with his parents. He should be out in the world, holding down a decent job, going to college, finding his own place. Instead he was acting like a fucking child and getting into fights.

He knew it was stupid to try and take on that mugger. He should’ve just handed over his wallet, filed a police report, cancelled his credit card and been on his way.

Instead he sunk back into his old ways.

They guy had gotten one good hit in and Jesse practically beat him to a pulp.

He shuddered.

He didn’t like becoming that kind of person. He didn’t like how readily he could turn to violence. His parents had taught him how to fight to protect himself, not to…

He sighed again.

“God I’m such a fuckin’ waste…”

He remembered the day when he was officially adopted. The strong couple that would become his parents swinging him up and into a shiny new life. He’d been so scared to fuck it up. A small part of him kept whispering that they would send him back. That he had to be perfect. He’d nearly made himself sick with anxiety before his Papí sat him down.

It had helped, but there was still a part of him that felt he would never live up to his war-hero parents.

_Maybe that’s why I keep actin’ out…_

Jesse shook his head. He really didn’t want to start psychoanalyzing himself.

He wasn’t looking forward to going home.

Slapping his cold cheeks, he let out a long, guttural shout, venting his frustrations and fear to the empty air.

It didn’t help much. And it hurt his jaw.

Jesse perked up when he heard a small noise answer back at him. “What the…”

He looked around, not seeing anything out of place. He gave out a sharp whistle, just to see what happened.

There it was again.

An irregular squeak was coming from somewhere behind him, He got up, feet crunching in the frosted gravel as he looked for the source of the noise.

_There!_

Jesse lay himself flat on the ground, ignoring the dirt and twigs stabbing at him through his shirt. Wedged underneath a dead bush, a tiny bundle shifted, giving out tiny cries that clawed at his heart.

“Hey,” he called out, sticking an arm into the bush. He had to break off a few branches to get close enough to poke at the bundle. It squeaked, seeking out contact and practically falling over itself and into Jesse’s hand.

It was a puppy, and it was filthy.

The little creature looked almost like a lump of coal from the layers of mud caked to its body.

“Hey there, little fella,” Jesse cooed at it, brushing off some dirt and leaves. He glanced around, looking over the bushes and off towards the open fields by the park. There was no sign of a mama, not even pawprints. “What are you doin’ out here all by yourself?”

The puppy cried out again, smacking its lips together. The little thing blinked tiredly up at him, its eyes barely opened.

“Shit, you need food.” Jesse tucked the puppy into his hoodie. He had no idea what to do. He’d never had a pet before and this little fella was so _small_.

He needed his dads.

Holding he pup securely, he booked it back to the house. He skidded over dirt, nearly took a wrong turn, and almost got backed into by the neighbor’s minivan.

Both his parent’s cars were still in the driveway. Good. He ran up the steps, flinging the door open and nearly smacking his dad in the face with hit.

“Dad!”

“Jesse!” Jack startled before frowning. “Where the hell were you? You didn’t take your phone—”

“I’m sorry!” Jesse interrupted. “I’m sorry I was stupid, and actin’ like a shitty brat, and startin’ fights, and for runnin’ off!” He took a deep breath. “But I got a problem and I don’t—”

“What’s wrong, mijo?” Gabriel strode up to him, eyes scanning for possible injuries.

In his hoodie, the puppy yipped.

His parents froze.

“Listen, I found it at the park,” Jesse said, pulling the little bundle out of his jacket. “The critter’s cold and hungry and I don’t know what to do.”

Jack took in the dirty puppy and his son’s desperate face, covered in dirt and the beginnings of a bruise under his patchy beard.

“Gabe,” he said.

“On it.” Gabriel tossed him his keys and grabbed their jackets from the closet. The three of them rushed out the door and piled into the car. Gabriel pulled out his phone as Jack backed them out of the driveway. “Looks like there’s an emergency vet ten minutes out on 23rd.”

They tore down the street, Gabriel barking out directions and Jesse in the back seat, trying to comfort the whimpering pup.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he murmured. “We’re gonna get you fixed up right quick. You’re gonna be okay.”

=x=x=x=

They sat in the waiting room of Mercy Veterinary Clinic, silent and tense. Jesse was rubbing his hands together, worried for the puppy despite the assurances that it would be okay.

The doctor had been very nice, letting him watch her bathe the pup and showing him that it was, in fact, a girl.

Dr. Zeigler checked her for lumps, took her vitals, then whisked her off for some more tests and to start her feeding.

Now they were just waiting for the final verdict.

“We still have to talk, Jesse,” Jack said softly from next to him.

Jesse sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

He felt a hand land on his shoulder and squeeze. Jesse looked up to see his Papí staring down at him.

“We love you mijo, I hope you know that. Even when we’re upset with you and even if it’s hard to talk to us.”

“You’re our world, Jesse,” Jack added, scooting in closer to them both. “That’s why we want so much for you. I know sometimes we can push too hard, and I’m sorry about that.” He looked up, eyes catching his husband’s. “We need to remember that you are your own person, and you’re going to make your own mistakes and your own goals.”

“We just want you to be safe and happy,” Gabriel muttered, pulling his son in close. “There’s not a damn good thing in this world that we don’t want for you.”

Jesse felt the day catch up with him and he found himself, a young man, squashed between his two giant dads, crying in the middle of a vet clinic. He felt a hand rubbing at his back, another squeezing his knee as both his parents let him get it out of his system.

He wanted to do better. He was going to do better.

For himself, and his family.

Jesse wiped at his eyes and sat up just in time to see Dr. Zeigler striding towards them with a clean, round, sleeping puppy in her hands.

“She looks to be in good shape,” the doctor said, gently handing the puppy over to Jesse with a small blanket wrapped around her. “She was a bit malnourished, but that’s nothing some love and attention won’t fix before long. It’s a good thing you found her when you did, she might not have lasted the incoming frost.”

Jesse stared down at the small thing, the tiny life he saved. And wasn’t that just incredible? She yawned in his arms, snuggling deeper into the blanket and Jesse was lost.

“So…” he started, holding the pup close. “Can I keep her?”

=x=x=x=

**Author's Note:**

> And boom! We have a Huckleberry origin story! Along with some of Jesse's troubled past. It's not easy being the kid of champions, but their family can only be stronger after this! And don't worry, I'll have some more of this fam in the future~ ;)
> 
> Thanks again for reading! ^^ Can you guess what the next theme will be? 
> 
> (Lemme tell ya, writing these has sure made the month fly by!!)
> 
> [Unedited.]
> 
> [Ko-Fi!](https://ko-fi.com/S6S35W8B) Donations will go towards a vet appointment for my cat!


End file.
